I'm looking for some thoughts. There are many people here with differing opinions. Now's your chance.

I am now at a point of considering upgrading my evergreen 2WD 97 SR5 auto with 167,000 miles on it. I've owned it since new. I've done and will do 20k+ miles per year in it. It is a solid vehicle. It's just beginning to show it's age. Door dings, bumper thumpers, etc.

Off-roaders seem to sneer at 2WD. Street rodders look askance at a SUV. And I'm not a hip-hop type with 1500w blowin' out my #@$$^%.

A supercharger(w/Udog kit), headers, cat-back and a SMT-7 sound good for the motor. (Think it could break a 7 second 0-60?)

The exterior could use new running boards (chrome steps?), fender flares, front spoiler, new clear bumper lamps, new 99+ headlights. add some fog/driving lights (Pilot He-550), and of course touch up the bodywork.

The interior could also use some updating with sound insulation, new seat covers(two-tone leather?), footwell lights, new wood dash kit(to replace my existing walnut kit), new carpets and maybe a new sound system.

By the time I get done it could easily cost me $10-12,000.

I have friends in 4x4 clubs and street rod clubs, both are interesting, however both don't really seem to accept a 2WD SUV, they just tolerate them. At best, I really only get a couple of days every month or two for this endeavor.

Do you guys think it is worth putting that kind of money into a truck? Or maybe I should just go out and build a Type 65 Coupe Cobra replicar? Or how about an older FJ? I also believe that what I own I'll drive every day.

BTW, paying for a kid at UCSD is not cheap...

Whadya think?

 

i say do it, but being an owner of a 4x2 thats slightly modified, im biased

 

been drinking huh?

 

Leave your daily driver alone. Take this mod money and start a new project like an LC or something similar.

Nothing wrong with what you are proposing really, if thats your thing. I would prefer to have a serious and dependable daily driver for urban chores and an equally serious off road monster machine that makes small children cry (and some adults )

Just my 2 cents.

 

axo,

you need to talk w/ casey here on the forum. he's done what you are thinking about.

bob

 

Well, if it were me in your shoes, I would make it a 4x4 or a desert vehicle. I would do a SAS and work from there. It would take a lot of fabrication but it could be done. I did a SAS on a 91 pu, but it was already a 4x4. It was actually not bad on the road either. Or, you could make it a nice baja rig. It wouldn't take as much fab work and it still would be very functional.

 

If you're planning on spending 10-12,000 dollars to modify a 2wd, I'd say use that money to buy a nice 4x4 instead. There's plenty of them out there in that price range.
I own a 2wd as well and just recently added a locker to make it more capable. It's 10 times better locked than unlocked but it's still no 4wd.

 

 

I was going to spend $5K to upgrade to 4x4 on my truck but got a 1st gen instead. I'd say keep the 2WD as the family cruiser and road queen. Get another rig to hit the trails with

 

Would a supercharger(w/Udog kit), headers, cat-back and a SMT-7 cost $10-12,000 to install? I say do all the engine upgrades first, and save the cosmetics for later. 2wd's are pretty fast compared to the 4wd's, and a supercharged one should have some pep to it also. If you spend your mod money to get another car, you'll have to spend additional money to mod it.

 

I think you could do the SC and supporting mods for easily under $6k with labor.

 

i say drop the charger and a few minor mods and keep it is a daily driver and build that cobra replicar...

 

The supercharger costs about $1900 (wait for a sale) plus $600 install at a dealer.
The Udog kit is $800+/- plus install
Headers $350 plus install ($500?)
Cat Back $500 plus install
SMT-7 estimate at $400 installed
Total over $5k

On the Road Smiles = Priceless

Another thing I could do is lift the suspension 3" with some spacers.

Where could I go with a lifted 2WD??

 

Lock it, you'll go much farther with it locked than lifted.
Lifted and locked would be a nice combo though

 

basically what you want to do is just street performance mods. so in that case it doesnt matter if its 4wd or 2wd.
but if you want to take it off road too, then you have some things to think about. do you want to do high speed desert driving? or trail riding? rock crawling?
if you want to do trail riding or rock crawling, you will definitely want a 4wd. so from there you can either sell your 2wd and get a 4wd OR you can do like i did, and convert your 2wd to 4wd. you can do it for 3-4k if your patient and smart

most would tell you not to convert it, and just buy a 4wd if you really want to do those kind of things. but its not necessary

-Casey

 

i do trail riding and higher speed stuff... not only desert, but street assualt if that makes sense... i just basically drive really fast all the time, even on the street.. and my 4x2 probably hadnles a little bit better than a 4x4 would in the same high speed conditions...